That's tough to do, akin to building a model ship in a bottle. The movie has to work, then the pieces have to be let out in just the right order. That gets even tougher when the storylines are complicated, like NBC's "Heroes."

"Heroes" was one of those shows, like "Friday Night Lights" and "The Nine," that got a fair amount of pre-season buzz. But like those others, its premiere episode was problematic as it unfolded.

The series focuses on everyday people who discover they have suddenly been bestowed with uncanny abilities. Slowly they learn that their collective fate is to save the world from an as-yet undetermined threat. The “Heroes” premiere had an ambitious storyline, effective, mostly understated acting and a lush, rich look.

But while some of the characters were fully drawn, full of anxiety and apprehension about their new lives, others were two-dimensional. In particular, Japanese office drone Hiro (Masi Oka), who can freeze time, and New York hospice nurse Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), who can absorb the abilities of others, seemed too unquestioningly enthusiastic about their gifts.

One had to wonder, as the initial Media Life review did, whether the whole thing would rise up and collapse under the weight of its ambition, devolving into a visually arresting comic book.

That has not happened. "Heroes" is maturing into a smart adult fantasy series.

From the first, the show's strength was its confidence in its mythology. The writers clearly knew where they wanted to take this epic story. They are doing that. Their self-confidence has enabled them to bounce among a dozen major characters without losing dramatic tension. "Heroes" unfolds smartly. The storyline is detailed but not so convoluted that missing one episode will prevent one from keeping up.

And while Hiro (apparently a fan favorite) continues to be simplistically drawn, the other weak character, Peter, has become more deeply aware of his gift’s consequences. That's made him darker and at the same time more convincing. His turn reflects the maturing of the series, and also its growing strength in the ratings. It is the highest-rated new show among adults 18-49s and has hit series highs the past two weeks.

More problematic is "Friday Night Lights” (Tuesdays at 8 on NBC). It  continues to struggle in the ratings.

"Lights" is a more conventional serialized drama without an overarching mythology, unless one counts high school football as a mythology. The people of Dillon, Texas, clearly do. "Lights” is as much about how the religion of football affects small-town relationships as it is about football itself.

"Lights" began strong and it continues to gain creatively. The show is nearly pitch-perfect at capturing how the success or failure of 17-year-old boys on a rectangular field can affect relationships, jobs and lives. The writing, acting and cinematography perfectly match the show's understated tone.

The impressive, mostly unknown cast follows the lead of Kyle Chandler as Coach Taylor, letting furrowed brows, averted glances and unspoken words tell the story, rather than giving in to clichés of rah-rah pep talks.

“Lights” is fearless in how it depicts the former star quarterback’s slow acceptance that his spinal injury has left him permanently paralyzed. “Lights” isn’t light stuff but it is good stuff, growing deeper and richer with each episode. While it continues to struggle in the ratings, NBC has ordered more episodes. It's currently averaging a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating but perhaps will tick up once timeslot competitor "Dancing with the Stars" exits this week. It's there for the audience to find, though it may take some time.

Were it only so for "The Nine,” (Wednesdays at 10 on ABC).

What began as a promising idea but with a problematic structure is sinking fast, dragged under by the flaws pointed out by Media Life in an earlier review at its debut. "Nine" seems to get thinner by the week.

The premise: Nine former bank robbery hostages form an intense connection because of the mysterious events that unfolded inside the bank. Through the season we learn bit by bit what actually happened that day as these characters are brought back together in their post-robbery lives.

Each episode opens with a brief flashback to what happened in the bank that day, then leaps forward to present day to delve into how those events have affected their lives.

The problem, of course, is that the most intense moments of any episode are in the opening scenes, and everything that follows seems diminished by contrast, the problems of the characters small potatoes. How could life not seem sweeter after two days where death seemed just moments away?

Despite solid, sometimes stellar acting--especially from Scott Wolf and Tim Daly--no amount of romantic or personal turmoil could match the intensity these people faced for those 52 hours. It’s a creative no-win situation for the writers.

What’s worse, the bank scenes are starting to lose their mojo too. The flashbacks in recent episodes have been consistently less heart-pounding than in the first few. Based on what’s been shown so far, it’s hard to believe that the hostage crisis would be so transformative as to make these people cling to each other afterwards.

More and more, the robbery looks like a cheap MacGuffin, merely a plot twist intended more to bait the audience than to keep it hooked. Its ratings reflect this.

"The Nine" is averaging a 3.4 18-49 rating and has been doing even worse in recent weeks, losing more than half of "Lost's" lead-in audience.